Leupak
]] The leupaks are a race of sentient monsters, originally created by the Dreamwaker with the aid of the Fatis Mirajin. Leupaks are a highly variable species, coming in a wide array of colours, patterns, adornments, shapes and sizes. It is rare for two leupaks to share the same appearance, as even among established bloodlines, individuals may vary greatly. Despite their many differences, all leupaks are sentient reptilians with large, well-rounded, rubbery bodies, external ears, and a long, hollow tongue ending with a prehensile claw. Leupaks are omnivorous and will eat anything, showing a preference for flesh, blood, and sweets. All require blood for proper venom production and egg development. Leupaks are both venomous and parasitic, and require living hosts in which to lay their eggs. Naturally born leupaks also possess a facet-- a fragment of mirajin crystal much like a third eye-- though the facet is lacking in venom-created subjects. Leupaks may be solitary, or live in groups known as gigs. Certain specialised gigs known as Houses also exist. Leupak venom, like many of a leupak's other features, varies between individuals and bloodlines. The venom acts as both an anaesthetic and an immunosuppressant, is mildly paralytic, and contains a high number of mutagens, some of which are mirajinoid. In large enough doses, leupak venom can cause humanoid beings to mutate into leupaks, and non-humanoid beings into leupak-like creatures known as protoleupaks. All leupaks lay eggs, regardless of gender. While leupak eggs are just as varied as the leupaks that spawn them, all require the genetic input of a host to develop and hatch. Leupaks are capable of using a great many species as hosts for their eggs, but are not able to use any of the dragon species as hosts, as this causes fatal genetic damage in the developing quaggy. They are also incapable of using the undead as hosts, and many species may not be large enough or able to provide a quaggy with the necessary nutrition without starving to death. On average, a leupak egg roughly the size of a grapefruit, although this can vary. The egg is inserted into the host creature's abdominal cavity with the use of the tongueclaw. The leupak's venom serves to numb the site and encourage the wound created by impregnation to heal quickly. Once implanted, the egg attaches itself to the host's digestive system and leeches off the nutrients it requires to grow and develop. After incubation, which could run anywhere between a few days to a few months, depending on the host and the egg in question, the young quaggy claws its way out to begin its life free of the host. While most definitely highly painful for the host in question, it is quite possible for it to survive the birth of a quaggy with assistance. Additionally, some leupaks have been known to hatch their eggs prematurely inside their own bodies, spitting the hatchlings out as a last line of defence in an emergency. A leupak's facet is made of mirajinoid crystal much like the crystals that grow on the hides of boralion dragons. This structure is rooted in the leupak's brain, and is impossible to remove without resulting in the death of the leupak. Like many of a leupak's features, the facet may vary from individual to individual, from a range of different shapes and sizes, to imitating the general "theme" of a leupak. In some cases, the facet may not be immediately recognisable, perhaps disguised as a simple scale. A leupak's facet contains the thought, idea or concept the leupak was formed around. The facet hums quietly, buzzing with energy, and generates mirajin, although most of this is absorbed by the leupak itself. Leupak facet crystals are prized for their magical and alchemical uses, and the crystals fetch a high price on the Sorilian black market. A leupak's body is comprised of tough, rubbery flesh. Their scales are elastic and bendable, an effect provided by an oil secreted from their skin. Their bodies are highly flexible due to the effects of this oil, and they are also capable of squeezing into spaces that seem far too small for their great bulk. The oil can be harvested and has proved useful in surgery and construction as well as the production of plastics. To date, three variations of leupak have been provided to the general public for study-- the mercurial leupak, the chromaleupak and the halleupak. These are tank-grown specimens, provided with a base string of DNA with which to begin developing with. These leupaks, while not born in the traditional sense, are fully functional in every sense of the word, and equally intelligent as those that exist naturally. Category:Species Category:Elementals